Social Firms Europe CEFEC believes in the creation of employment for people facing barriers to the labour market because of disability or disadvantage

Research

Social Firms Europe CEFEC works on a continuous basis to carry out and build on research into both the existence of Social Firms and social co-operatives and to help evidence and prove their impact.

Some of the research carried out to date include:

1. The Linz Appeal
Why should there be more Social Firms for disabled and disadvantaged people across Europe? The ‘Linz Appeal’Part A1 and Part A2 and Part B present the collective experience of the Social Firms Europe CEFEC members with recommendations for how the growth of Social Firms can be encouraged. The Part B has been updated in 2015.

2. Social Firms Europe CEFEC – A History
The Social Firms movement in Europe led to the first meeting in Berlin in 1987. Click here to find out what has happened since.

3. Abstract Work Integration Social Enterprises
In the Netherlands the public and professional opinion on working with disabilities has changed considerably over the last few years. Click here to read more.

4. Challenges and opportunities facing European Social Firms, 2008A survey of Social Firms in different European countries in 2008 – these slides were presented at the 21st conference in Portugal and outline the key challenges and opportunities perceived by the Social Firms. Click here to view the slides.

5. Social Return on Investment (SROI)Click here to view slides from Sheila Durie, September 2009

6. Social Firm growth in GermanyClick here to view slides from Peter Stadler, September 2009

7. Managing Diversity – supporting people with mental health problems in Social Firms;Click here to view the slides from Dr Bob Grove, September 2009

8. An update on affirmative businesses or Social Firms for people with mental illnessClick here to view the article by Professor Richard Warner and James Mandiberg, PHD

9. Working group on definitionsClick here to view the paper started at the 22nd Prague conference led by Sally Reynolds

European Social Firm of the Year Award 2017

This Year we continue with the SFE CEFEC tradition to award the Social Firm which presents best according to the attached Registration Form.

We hope that you will encourage your own social firm or other social firms in the orbit of SFE CEFEC movement. First of all, we are thinking of SFE CEFEC members, but befriended social firms can also apply. Please take this to your organization and prepare the following:

The 30-th Annual Conference of Social Firms Europe CEFEC 2017

The 30th Annual Conference of Social Firms Europe CEFEC will take place in Linz, Austria in the period 28-29 of September 2017.

The event will be organized by SFE CEFEC and Pro mente Austria in cooperation with Pro mente OÖ. The main objective of the conference is to present the new challenges for jobholders to meet the requirements of digital economies and the impact of a digitalized society on everyday work and commercial relevance of social firms in digital economies.